Hardhead Catfish welcome committee

This is not a great photo, I know, but it is an odd and curious fish, and I wanted to share it with the JUngleDragon gang. I had never heard of it, but when we were in Holbox swimming with Whale Sharks (see my whale shark photo), the boats took us to a sheltered mangrove inlet where we had lunch (fish stew - ceviche). In no time flat, anyone standing in the water was surrounded by lots of large, grayish catfish. I just assumed that they were harmless and so didn't mind as many of the guests threw fish bits into the water to feed them and they all splashed around my bare legs in a feeding frenzy. Later however, when I identified them, I was rather horrified to learn that they carry a barbed spine that can easily penetrate tennis shoes and that is fairly poisonous. Luckily people are rarely hurt by this unless they pick up the fish as when catching them, so better leave them in the water where they belong.